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Chronic Pulsation Issues at Power Plant in Central PA

Chronic Pulsation Issues at Power Plant in Central PA

Problem: The facility experienced persistent pulsation and vibration in a process line operating with two pumps. Operators noted:

- Poor pulsation control
- Unstable pressure readings
- Concerns that the dampener was “not working”
- Consideration of taking the dampener offline


Initial discussions suggested potential equipment malfunction. However, system layout and installation practices had not yet been fully evaluated.

During the site visit, the system configuration was reviewed in detail. Two critical issues were identified:

1. One Dampener Serving Two Pumps
Both pumps were discharging into a single pulsation dampener—an arrangement not suitable for proper attenuation or balanced operation.

2. Improper Dampener Placement
The dampener was installed well outside the recommended 10 pipe diameters from the pump discharge. At this distance, the unit could not effectively mitigate pressure fluctuations.

These conditions explained the apparent performance issues despite the dampener itself being fully functional.

Waste Liquids

Waste Liquids

Problem: A large manufacturing plant located in Japan uses air operated high pressure injection pumps throughout their plant to pump out waste liquids from reactor vessels. The reciprocating action of the pumps creates a pulsating flow which vibrates the plumbing, producing loud noise resulting in worker complaints and possible safety issues.

Descaling

Descaling

Problem: Rocky Mountain Steel Mills in Pueblo, CO uses two Myers/Aplex MA-240M quintuplex 200 HP plunger pumps to descale the raw material before it is sent through the forming rollers that create the final product. Each of these pumps produces 100 GPM at 2,200 psi. The reciprocating action and high pressure created by these pumps causes severe shaking of the pipes, valves, and pipe supports in the system. More critical to the operation, the pulsating flow can cause erratic descaling of the raw material. This erratic descaling can cause damage to the form rollers and can make it difficult for the steel mill to achieve consistent quality in their final product. This style of pump also requires a smooth flow of fluid to the inlet to work properly.

Advanced Materials Facility

Advanced Materials Facility

Problem: An advanced materials facility based in the Greater Toronto Area was hesitant to include dampeners in their operation as they hadn't had luck with them previously. Blacoh asked to see the installation. Upon further investigation, we discovered the customer had one uncharged dampener for two pumps (photo below), and it was located well outside the recommended 10 pipe diameter rule. This is a prime example of the importance of Size, Location, and Charge in regards to dampener installation.

Hydrochloric Acid

Hydrochloric Acid

Problem: Using a reciprocating diaphragm pump creates a turbulent product flow which causes excess vapors and product aeration.

Pulp & Paper

Pulp & Paper

Problem: A major pulp and paper mill in the Northwest used AODD unloading pumps. The reciprocating action of these air operated pumps created violent pulsations that caused both pipe stress and mounting fatigue. In fact, these pulsations often caused the pumps to be pulled from their cement foundations. This created significant downtime, costly foundation repair, environmental hazards, and a dangerous working environment.

APPLICATIONS
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